Departure Airport

Destination or Hotel

List

Departure Date

Duration

Rooms & Guests

Clear search

Malcesine Holidays

from £ 399 pp

View All Deals

On a holiday to Malcesine, you'll explore a picturesque town and ancient harbour with breathtaking views of the Monte Baldo Mountain, plus the most romantic of the four Scaligeri Castles.

Castles and cable cars

One of the prettiest towns on Lake Garda, Malcesine is known for its clifftop castle and the rotating Monte Baldo cable car. Jump on at Malcesine and you’ll be whisked up to the Monte Baldo mountain, which has the amazing views over Lake Garda. Down in the town, steep, stone-paved streets fan up from an ancient harbour and are filled with pavement cafés, ice cream parlours and shops – plenty of ways to spend a lazy day.

View from the top

Nestling on the eastern shore of the lake, the ancient town of Malcesine was once a sleepy fishing village, protected by the stone walls of the Scaligeri Castle. Head to the top of the town to go through the castle’s arched entrance and you’ll find lots of interesting rooms to explore. While there, you can also climb the stone stairs to the top of the tower to see across the rooftops of Malcesine and over the lake.

Weddings in Malcesine

Tying the knot? Why not host your big day in Malcesine, on the dramatic northern shores of Lake Garda? You can opt to stay in one of nine top-quality hotels in the resort, and choose from a range of weddings packages to suit your needs. Find out more about weddings with TUI to plan your perfect day.

Out and about

Here are some ideas of things to do when staying in Malcesine:

• Lake bathing
• Castle
• Museum
• Minigolf
• Open-air concerts
• Markets

At a glance

See the best views of the lake from the top of the rotating cable car
Walk through pretty pebble-paved streets and up to the medieval castle
Try a different ice cream flavour every day at the gelateria on Corso Garibaldi

The beach of Paina

The closest and one of the most popular beaches in Malcesine is located only 100m from the town centre and to the north of the castle. The beach of Paina is a free pebble beach with facilities including a swim raft, lifeguard service, beach volleyball nets and a sports field. There’s loungers to rent, and, if you get peckish, the nearby bars and restaurants offer a great selection.
The 'Bay of Dreams'

At the southern end of Malcesine is the commune of Val di Sogno – this translates into English as the valley (or bay) of dreams. Tall cypress trees, green vegetation, and peaceful in a protected bay. This free pebble beach is popular with wind surfers and sailors, so it’s great to watch them out on the lake. At the beach there’s sun loungers and parasols available to rent, and the nearby cafes and restaurants are great to grab drinks and lunch.
Fancy a dip?

Off the coast of Malcesine is known as the deepest section of the lake at over 300m. This does mean that the lake waters in the north are a little chillier than the south by approximately 6°C. Also, for getting in and out of the lake, the pebbles can be a little uncomfortable under foot. For this reason, we recommend taking lake shoes with you.

Bargain Buys

You’ll be sure to find a few bargains at the weekly market. Every Saturday morning from 8am, the market arrives in the town centre car park, outside the town hall (Municipio). Everything from traditional Italian pottery, clothing, leather goods, gifts and souvenirs are available for a reasonable price. It may not be as cheap as you’d expect a market to be, but the products are generally really high quality.
Mid-Range Buys

Malcesine has many shops and boutiques throughout the town offering everything from typical Italian clothing, gifts and souvenirs to local artwork. The shops in the town generally close in the middle of the day for a siesta – this is usually between 12.30pm and 3pm, but stay open later in the evenings.
Designer Buys

While some shops in Malcesine offer some higher end brands and products, to get more of a choice, take a trip to one of the nearby cities. Verona, Milan and Venice are all home to Italian designers such as Gucci, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana. See the glitz and the glamour, and treat yourself.

Laid-back evenings

In true Italian style, take a wander down to the harbour for a drink in the evening. There’s several cafes and bars surrounding the harbour to get a spritz and watch the world go by. Many ice cream parlours also stay open as late as the bars – perfect for a wander by the water. After a good bar on the lake? Oasi on the lakefront has a great atmosphere and tasty cocktails.
Lively evenings

Fancy a lively evening of culture and entertainment, book to see an opera at the Malcesine Castle during the summer months. Having fast become an extremely popular event in the town, it’s a wonderful introduction to Italian opera with a great atmosphere. Malcesine often hosts firework displays on the water, too. Make sure you find out what’s happening while you’re there.

Eating out

Malcesine’s little harbour is lined with cafés – great for people watching beside the lake. But if you’re looking for something with a little more atmosphere, the sociable piazzas are filled with bars and restaurants and occasional live entertainment.
Award-winning choices at Al Gondoliere

The award-winning food at Al Gondoliere is great as an evening treat. They serve beautifully presented pastas, steaks, fish and desserts, and the popular choices include courgette gnocchi with shrimp and the octopus carpaccio with smoked salmon.
Al fresco dining at the popular Speck Stube

A few kilometres out of town, but well worth the effort is Speck Stube, delightful if you're looking for something a bit different. This fun German-style eatery has a great atmosphere with big wooden benches for al fresco eating, whether it’s roast chicken or ribs and chunky chips.
Authentic Italian with a stunning view at Al Bacio

Overlooking the lake is the Al Bacio Restaurant, which has beautiful views of Limone's mountains. The menu is small, consisting of traditional Italian dishes, but everything is creatively prepared. And watching the sunset from here is a real treat.

On foot

Stroll around the ancient harbour with its abundance of pavement cafés and shops, or explore the town of Malcesine by making your way around the steep cobbled streets that fan up from the waterfront.
Ferries

There are ferry services from Malcesine to Limone, Riva and all resorts down to Desenzano. Ferries to Riva leave every hour and take 20 minutes. Ferries to the southern part of the lake come less frequently, but once you’re on the boat you can get to Sirmione in just under 4 hours. Please be aware that timetables change throughout the summer, so journey lengths may change.
Trains

The nearest stations to Malcesine are Peschiera and Desenzano. You can catch a bus along the lakeside road to the stations, though this may take some time. From the stations the east-west train line connects Lake Garda to Venice, Verona and even Milan.
Buses

The main bus station is located on the Via Gardesana. You can take the public bus north towards Riva or south towards Bardolino and Peschiera. There’s also a tourist bus that operates around Malcesine, Cassone and Navene. It operates once an hour between 8am and 3pm and again between 4pm and 1am.
Summer lifts

The only lift on Lake Garda is the Monte Baldo cable car in Malcesine. It operates throughout the summer between 8am and 6pm, and once it reaches a certain height it begins to rotate, giving passengers 360º views of the gorgeous mountains and stunning lake below.

Walking

Start here with the Monte Baldo cable car – even the ride up is a fantastic experience. At the top, walk left along the ridge, then turn back for a wonderful view of Malcesine. There are plenty of other walking trails up here, so pick your pace and head off to explore. The walk up to the iconic castle is also not one to be missed. Malcesine itself is a warren of hills, steps and pebbled streets, so it’s not the best base for those with limited mobility.
Monte Baldo

This gentle route starts with a ride up the fantastic Monte Baldo cable car – the journey takes about 20 minutes, and you should try to get there early to avoid the queues. At the summit, look for the blue footpath, marked 651. Head left towards La Capannia restaurant and you’ll get dazzling 360° views of the alpine foothills of Brescia Trentino and Veneto. Trail 19 will take you back to the cable car station.

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Where we go in Malcesine

Hotel Augusta

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Anna

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Astoria

OOOOO Plus
Club Hotel Olivi

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Malcesine

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Excelsior Bay

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Vega

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Antonella

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Casa Barca

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Ristorante Alpino

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Pelèr

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Diana

OOOOO Plus
Hotel Maximilian

OOOOO Plus

Popular holidays

To top

Our top deals tailored to you, straight to your inbox Sign up for offers

Shop Finder Ask a question? Contact us

We're part of TUI Group - one of the world's leading travel companies. And all of our holidays are designed to help you Discover Your Smile.

Registered address: Wigmore House, Wigmore Lane, Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, LU2 9TN

. .

Holiday Types

Summer Holidays 2022 Summer Holidays 2023 Winter Holidays 2022 Winter Sun Holidays Cheap Holidays Luxury Holidays Family Holidays All inclusive holidays Package Holidays Beach holidays Discount Codes City Breaks Last minute Holidays Villa Holidays Short Breaks Multi-Destination Holidays Escorted Tours Accessible Holidays

Popular Destinations

Algarve holidays Benidorm holidays Canary Islands holidays Crete holidays Cyprus holidays Gran Canaria holidays Ibiza holidays Lanzarote holidays Las Vegas Holidays Majorca holidays Menorca holidays Mexico Holidays New York Holidays Tenerife holidays

Mid/Long haul

Aruba holidays Bali Holidays Vietnam holidays Cape Verde holidays Caribbean Holidays Costa Rica Holidays Cuba Holidays Dubai Holidays Egypt holidays Florida holidays Jamaica Holidays Mauritius holidays Sri Lanka Holidays Thailand holidays Sharm El Sheikh Holidays

Short Haul

Benidorm Holidays Portugal holidays Spain holidays Turkey Holidays Zante holidays Morocco holidays Croatia holidays Greece holidays Malta holidays Bulgaria holidays Italy holidays Lapland holidays

Flights To

Cheap Flights Tenerife Flights Montego Bay Flights Mauritius Flights Thailand Flights Alicante Flights Lanzarote Flights Ibiza Flights Florida Flights Orlando Flights Spain Flights Cyprus Flights Malta Flights Portugal Flights Turkey Flights Goa Flights Cancun Flights Barbados Flights Popular Flight Routes

Cruise

Puerto Limon Caribbean Cruises Italian Cruises Mediterranean Cruises Canary Islands and Atlantic Central America Dubrovnik Barcelona All Inclusive Family Cruises Last Minute Cruises Cruises Cruise Deals Summer Cruises River Cruise Deals

Hotels

Hotels in Tenerife Hotels in Gran Canaria Hotels in Lanzarote Hotels in Fuerteventura Hotels in Majorca Hotels in Menorca Hotels in Ibiza Hotels in Cancun Hotels in Riviera Maya Hotels in Playacar Hotels in Playa Del Carmen Hotels in Paphos Hotels in Protaras Hotels in Marmaris Hotels in Bodrum Hotels in Alanya Hotels in Kusadasi

Travel Aware - Staying Safe and Healthy Abroad

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and National Travel Health Network and Centre have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad.

See gov.uk/travelaware and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK on Twitter and Facebook.com/FCDOtravel - for the latest general FCDO travel advice, including coronavirus travel guidance, security and local laws, and passport and visa information.

See gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice - for FCDO travel advice about individual destinations.

Sign up for FCDO travel advice email alerts, so you automatically receive the latest travel advice updates and travel requirements for the destinations you want to know about.

See Travel Aware page - for travel advice from TUI.

See travelhealthpro.org.uk - for current travel health news.

The advice can change so check regularly for updates.

All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Some of the flights on this website are also financially protected by the ATOL scheme, but ATOL protection does not apply to all flights. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each flight before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk. ATOL protection does not apply to the other holiday and travel services listed on this website.

Malcesine Holidays

Castles and cable cars

View from the top

Weddings in Malcesine

Out and about

At a glance

Top things to See and Do in Malcesine

The beach of Paina

The 'Bay of Dreams'

Fancy a dip?

Bargain Buys

Mid-Range Buys

Designer Buys

Laid-back evenings

Lively evenings

Eating out

Award-winning choices at Al Gondoliere

Al fresco dining at the popular Speck Stube

Authentic Italian with a stunning view at Al Bacio

On foot

Ferries

Trains

Buses

Summer lifts

Walking

Monte Baldo

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Where we go in Malcesine

Popular holidays

Travel Aware - Staying Safe and Healthy Abroad